The Sultan of Swank

I believe that after another awesome performance by price that makes it 12 starts in a row without a loss in regulation. Habs slept through the first two periods then embarassed the bolts defense

Maxims lapierre with a hat trick. I am content.

andrei kostitsyn

I can't wait for the game. I go to pick my girlfriend up from the train station right before it starts, so it's going to be a pretty frantic drive back home. I absolutely love the WJ's, it's so fast and physical. To me, it's really the kind of hockey I love.

Yeah Plubby, the Habs/Sabres game was probably the most exciting of the year that I've seen the Habs play. They're two very similar teams in terms of playing style and depth so it's usually a great game that ends up with the two teams just trading rushes all night and the two goalies standing on their heads. Clawson, It was vintage Kovy. He found a hole the exact size of the puck between Miller and the inside post and just fired a laser.

I'm surprised you already didn't know that. The Leafs/Pens game is the only circumstances where I cheer for Toronto. I hate the Pittsburgh franchise with every fibre of my being. As far as I'm concerned Pittsburgh should have lost their franchise in the 80's, then again in the late 90's and now I just hate them, their fans and Crosby. I know that for now, Pittsburgh is going to be fine financially, but c'mon, the same thing happened 25 years ago. Failing franchise, possibly moving or contracting, then the Pens get the miracle player, the next Gretzky and a player who was about 100 times better than Crosby is, in Mario Lemieux. They build a great young core of players that also includes Francis and Jagr, the franchise is saved! They win back to back cups and less than 10 years after that once all the stars have departed they're back where they started. In the hole for millions upon millions of dollars, the goodwill of Lemieux helps to keep the franchise where it is, they're gonna move, then they get the miracle player, the next Gretzky, Sidney Crosby. They build a young core of great players that also includes Malkin and Fleury and the franchse is saved! They make it as far as the Stanley Cup finals.... Anyways, Tonight's game was fantastic to watch. Incredibly exciting, great game played by both teams, there's just too much to say. The most important thing that needs to be said is that Ryan Miller turned out a performance that was nothing short of magic. I know that he conceeded 4 goals(on 43 shots) but wow, he made some saves... It was insane. Kovalev, 3 goals in his past 3 games, and man has he been working hard. A goal and 1 or 2 assists tonight, a few hits, and plenty of second efforts. Amazing. D'Agostini, another assist. It was a harder game for him than we've seen, but jeeze. Steve Begin... I think that every team needs a player like Begin. He had one sequence where he was on the forecheck, he helped keep the puck pinned in the Buffalo zone for almost 2 minutes, he threw 5 huge hits, and then created a scoring chance. That was pretty much his story the whole night. George Laraque, I like him playing with skilled players, he's so big and so amazing at protecting the puck that he created a lot of good chances for Tanguay. I also like that when he fought Peters, He'd hit him until he went down, once he was down he stops immediately. Peters got back up to try again, Laraque hits him once more, he goes down again he stops hitting. That's just a man who respects the people he fights, knows his job and is amazing at it. I loved him laughing at Peters when he was dancing around Laraque like some boxer... fool. Great game to watch, great finish to the game, they do it all again in less than 24 hours. Can't wait.

Oh lord no, I just meant the way that Montreal's fans will boo their own players for having a bad shift sort of thing.

Yeah Clawson, I was talking to Toe about this the other night, if I'm not mistaken he went from I want to retire a Leaf, to I won't waive my NTC which was a great show of loyalty... at the worst possible time. If he loved the Leafs he'd have left the Leafs to help them get better(Grabs... who you got anyways, Higgins and a 1st). Then it was I don't want to be a rental player I want to go from start to finish with a team.... and it's not about the money. Toe was saying that they'd cheer him at the ACC... Now I know I'm from Montreal and we're like Philly just more riotous, but really. I'd boo until I was horse in my throat and fire was in my lungs... I think what he did, was absolute bullshit, to Toronto, to his reputation to the NHL. He dragged this shit out for months and months, I mean how badly can he even want to play if he can only make up his mind in the middle of the season. At least if he left the Leafs, but did so in a trade, we could look back on this and say well, y'know, he had a great run in Toronto, but times they are a changing and it was the right time for him to leave and hey, look what we got for him. Now it's just, he was a great player in Toronto, then he fucked the team straight in the asshole... but I've never really been a fan... How's about this D'agostini kid, 5 goals in 9 games, fast as lightning, 3 breakaway goals and drives hard to the net with a great wrist shot. Guillaume Latendresse, take some vitamin GTFO, pack that shit in and get on the bus to Hamilton.

I didn't know there was a new rule in the NHL where if a player falls upon his own accord next to another player, a penalty is called. Montreal took 11 penalties in a row and 13 or 14 in the game, Carolina had one. What upset me was that Montreal deserved maybe 5 of those penalties, and Carolina was getting away with a lot of the clutching, grabbing and hooking that is supposed to be called. Regardless the positives are that Montreal scored twice on 6 shots, Held Carolina to something like 16 shots through 2 periods despite playing the first two periods mostly on the penalty kill. It was a dissappointing game to watch only because anytime it was 5 on 5 Montreal was clearly the better time, but evertime a Hurricane player got hit there was a penalty call. Oh well, Philly thursday and Komisarek could be back, which would be great considering Price, Koivu, Higgins, Laraque, Dandenault and Komisarek have all been out and everyone there except Price is expected to be long term. After the Habs game I switched to see the Devils play, that was a nice move by Blake at the end of the shootout.

Didn't you want Halak's head like... five games into the fucking season? Indeed I did, because in his first 3 starts this year he was absolute rubbish. I live in Montreal, I demand results immediately.

I'm pretty sure that this game completes me. I'm just not gonna drop 65 bucks on something with no demo.

It goes back... waaaaaay back. And I'm sorry, I just assumed that you didn't know french, my bad. Je m'excuse.

Haha, well... y'know.... And Yeah it's the equivalent of like he shoots he scores!... which is actually lance et compte but yeah, it doesn't really translate into English because directly it means It's a Goal!

See, now I really like Halak a lot. I think he's always been thought of the other goalie in Montreal and that's really not fair. When he first came up 2 years ago when Huet went down with injury and it became apparent that Aebischer was a terrible goalie he went 10-3-3 with 3 shutouts was 7-0 at the Bell Center and when he was called up he was running a .951 save percentage in the AHL. To this day I still feel that if he had gotten the call in the Habs/Leafs game that Montreal lost 6-5 in Huet's first game after returning to injury, Montreal would have won. He's a great goaltender. He's got to be one of the better back-up goaltenders in the league and in a way, while I love the security of having both Price and Halak. I really want Halak to get traded to a team where he gets the chance to be the #1 goalie because he really deserves it.

Oh quit your boo-hooing. The hit on Phaneuf was questionable but I think it had more to do with Markov having Phaneuf lined up and then Phaneuf making a quick move to the outside and surprising the hell out of Markov, because if you watch the hit Markov has already started to commit to a hit on him. I think that the tripping penalty was justified, but anyone saying that Markov tried to knee Phaneuf is an idiot. And when another player literally jumps on your head, what do you want him to do. I was proud that when Glencross jumped our best defenseman that Lapierre and Begin dove on him. In the first 5 or so minutes of the game, Calgary was playing great, but Montreal more or less took over the game after the first goal. There was really good flow to the game, but to say that Montreal only won because Halak stood on his head is a bit wrong. I felt that while both teams got great chances and it was a really exciting game, the difference was that Montreal was capable of putting away most of the chances they had. I think that had Kipper not made a few huge saves including some highway robbery on Tanguay it could have been 6 or 7 to 1. Giordano? I think thats how you spell his name. Yeah, when it's a close game like that and he clearly intentionally puts the net off its moorings um I'm pretty sure the refs need to call that. D'Agostini... Wow. 4 games in the NHL, 4 Goals, 1 Assist. Last night's goal was beautiful. Robert Lang, was shutting down the Flames in our Zone and put 2 in for his efforts. I know that Kipper is one of the best goalies in the world, but I found that he flopped around all over the ice. In the play where a Flames player deliberately knocked the net off, he was just slip-sliding all over the place. I find that when the play picked up in the Calgary zone he got caught out of position a few times because he was moving around so much. Dandenault... what a trooper, he breaks his arm on a play, Calgary is still in the Habs zone, so he stays in the ice trying to keep with his man until the play leaves the zone. That's heart. And Halak. Early on he was awesome, when we were up 2-0 he was awesome and when we were holding a 3-1 and then 4-1 lead, he was fantastic. Because despite the score, Calgary was battling all night. All in all, a very fun game to watch.

Lovely. I'd really like to see Phoenix come back to Canada.... not Southern Ontario.... I'd prefer it either out west, then out east.... then potentially Quebec, I just don't like the idea of the majority of the Canadian teams being located a hours flight from one another. Now of course I was just talking about what my heart wants. Logically, stick a team in Toronto, in or around Hamilton and there's enough people there who either can't get tickets to a Leafs game, might *gasp* not be Leafs fans or don't want to brave the horrible horrible traffic into Toronto, so it'd make a lot of sense to have it in that area. Montreal and Calgary tonight.... Habs are going to get.... yeah killed.

I know they lost Bergeron for all of last season, but I just never saw Thomas as a great goalie... mostly because the only times I saw him play last season he was getting slaughtered by the Habs. Amazing game last night, what a spectacular performance by both Price and Clemmenson. Obviously I'm unhappy that Montreal lost, but even the guys on CBC thought it was bullshit that the refs missed 3 or 4 calls in the last 10 minutes. The Devils were playing really sloppy in that span, but the whistles went away till the last 45 seconds when they called Kovy on a real weak sauce penalty... then again, I don't think that Montreal being on the powerplay would have accomplished much. In any case I Was happy with the effort the Habs put forth. D'Agostini has 4 points (3G, 1A) in 3 games since being called up. I really like the way he drives really hard to the net and just parks himself there. He's really going to make it hard to send him back down.

....good lord.... Devils tonight. I'm not sure what to make of it, Boston has their game in the bag already, they're playing the Panthers, so it's not like the Habs are gonna make up any ground on what has to be the surprise team so far this year. They went 11-0-1 in November. I mean, they're no San Jose who have what? 4 losses in their first 26 games.... but I pretty much expected Boston to put up a little bit more fight this year but nothing special. They've certainly proved me wrong so far.

I'd watch it. I'm not sure if they'll do it with the Leafs. With the Bruins, there's hatred there too, but there's a respect factor. I think deep down for the old Leafs there's a respect factor there as well, but I'd be a fool to think that the Habs fans wouldn't mercilessly boo the old Leafs.

I was making a comment that the Montreal organization is a pillar of class in the league. They also paid tribute to fellow Original 6 team the Rangers last night. Parading out some former Rangers and Habs stars with a little bit on the rivalry(and I use that term loosely) between the two teams. I was there last season when they did it with Chicago, it was fun and nice. http://www.montrealgazette.com/news/photos...3503/story.html Pictures of the statues, Plaza and last nights events can be seen above. Clawson stop being so defensive about anything I say. Oh Noes! I said Montreal knows how to run an organization, how self conscience about the Leafs do you have to be to take that as a shot? They celebrated another team, and unveiled Centennial Plaza last night with Bronze statues of 4 legendary players not only of the team but of the League. So.... yeah, I'll say that Montreal knows how to run an organization... It's not taking shots at any other team(especially not the Leafs, I promise). Also, Espn spit out some attendance numbers, looks like Chicago is filling past capacity all season... Wow! Good for them.

Montreal turned 99 yesterday, and being that they know how to run an organization, they unveiled 4 bronze statues (Morenz, Richard, Beliveau and Lafleur) right outside the Bell Center. They also had the bricks that people were able to buy and personalize, and they had plaques commemorating the 24 cups along with 3 blank ones in the spirit of optimism. The 100th Anniversary celebrations started last night and should go on till this time next season... possibly ending with a Big O game.

Rangers.... rocked. Jumped out to a 4-0 lead with 2 goals from our fourth line. Fun little hugfest between Koivu and Gomez. When the Rangers made it 4-2 I was worrying that the Rangers might try to pull a comeback on us like Montreal so gloriously did last February. 3 wins in a row to start our homestand is pretty great. New Jersey up next tomorrow. Fun fact: Carey Price has given up 2 goals or less in 8 of his last 9 starts.

I thought what Avery did was wrong, because he was looking for a camera, but I still think it was hilarious. I don't know how to describe last nights game as anything other than 45 minutes of absolute domination by the Habs, 5 minutes of great back and forth rushes, and a 10 minute clusterfuck of goals.

I'm not debating popularity. I'm debating importance.

K, so point mooted, but just gotta throw something out there. Clawson, if you are doubting the legendary status of Rocket Richard because he wasn't a point per game player than you are a moron. All of your arguments are about numbers, you try to tell me that the Leafs fans are the most passionate because they always show up even when the team sucks, but then why is the ACC almost as quiet as say the Xcel Energy Center. On the topic of Richard, I'll leave my stupid Habs bias out of this, besides how incredibly dense you'd have to be to doubt his absolute importance and greatness in the league... why would of all publications the Hockey News rate him as the #5 player of all time? Hmm, might have something to do with him being THE player of the 40's, 50's, setting the gold standard for goal scoring, being the Babe Ruth of Hockey and an all around absolute Legend of the Sport. It's amazing that you, a huge hockey fan would say something like that.